We had an incredible time on our tour with Swan! She was an awesome guide who made the whole experience so much fun. The highlight was definitely eating the delicious local foods and getting to see exactly where and how they were made. Every stop had great tasting food, and it was so neat to see the traditional process behind it all. I highly recommend booking a tour with Swan if you want an authentic taste of the local culture!
An extraordinary experience. Swan took us on a journey, seeing how all of the ingredients are grown and manufactured, culminating in some delicious culinary delights. Her deep local understanding stands out, and I feel like I had a truly insiders view of this remarkable city and its cuisine. Book it and come hungry - you’ll end it full and happy!
Hidden Gems was a wonderful, wonderful tour - I’ve done other tours in other countries but they haven’t been as thoughtful and insightful as this one. We were taken on a journey it felt l, like almost through time and each thing we saw and learned was connected. Kim was a fantastic guide - intelligent and fun, kind and flexible. I really don’t think I would have truly understood Hoi An if I hadn’t done this tour and I can’t recommend it enough - 5 stars
Kim was our local guide and she was extraordinary! Her English is impeccable so very easy to understand. She took us down all the behind the scenes back roads and we had the best food of our entire time in Vietnam. She's a single mom who lived in the UK for 10 years and she was absolutely adorable. The thought and care she put into every single step was very much appreciated. I'd highly recommend her above anyone else in Hoi An.
What a wonderful experience, we had a very warm welcome from our tour guide Xuan. She was warm, knowledgeable, fun and very patient with us. I thoroughly enjoyed the bean sprouts & Cau Lau factory visits and both owners were super nice and so warm. Overall a wonderful and we all learned so much from the locals.
Hidden Gems of Old Hoi An – Food & Cultural Walking Tour
This is definately one of the best tours I did in Vietnam. We spent a perfect morning with Thuy, wandering through backstreets, hearing stories and stopping to try delicious local food along the way.
Thuy has such a deep knowledge of her local community, families, food and history. Thank you so much for a great morning, I loved every moment of it.
Date of experience: May 2026
I had the most amazing experience with Xuân on this tour!! I loved learning about how bean sprouts and cao lau noodles are made at local farms. Xuân taught me so much about Hoi An, I learned so much about the culture here. This was such an insightful experience and I really recommend it to anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnamese culture. Xuân made my experience unforgettable and I’m extremely grateful for her services!
Verified
Amazing tour!
I had the most amazing experience with Xuân on this tour!! I loved learning about how bean sprouts and cao lau noodles are made at local farms. Xuân taught me so much about Hoi An, I learned so much about the culture here. This was such an insightful experience and I really recommend it to anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnamese culture. Xuân made my experience unforgettable and I’m extremely grateful for her services!
You must book the Hidden Gems of Old Hoi An tour and ask for Xuân (Swan)!!
Some tours show you a city. Xuân lets you fall in love with one.
We came hungry for food and left full of something we didn’t know we’d been craving — connection, belonging, the quiet magic of being welcomed into a place rather than simply passing through it. Xuân led us off the postcard streets and into the lanes that breathe: past vendors who greet her like family, through doorways we’d never have otherwise entered, into the soft, fragrant chaos where the real Hội An lives.
Every dish came wrapped in a story. Bean sprouts crisp as morning, snapped fresh into the bowl. Traditional Cao Lầu noodles found nowhere else on earth but here — chewy, smoky, born of well water. Flavors that tasted like generations of someone’s grandmother loving them into being. We didn’t just eat — we listened, we lingered, we belonged, if only for an afternoon.
But it was Xuân herself who turned a tour into something sacred. Her warmth could light a lantern. Her curiosity about us — where we’d come from, what we carried — made strangers feel like old friends finding their way back to each other. By the time we said goodbye, the word felt far too small for what she’d given us.
If you let Hội An into your heart, let Xuân hold the door. She is the hidden gem the city keeps for those lucky enough to find her.
Verified
Must book this tour with Xuân!
Some tours show you a city. Xuân lets you fall in love with one. We came hungry for food and left full of something we didn’t know we’d been craving — connection, belonging, the quiet magic of being welcomed into a place rather than simply passing through it. Xuân led us off the postcard streets and into the lanes that breathe: past vendors who greet her like family, through doorways we’d never have otherwise entered, into the soft, fragrant chaos where the real Hội An lives. Every dish came wrapped in a story. Bean sprouts crisp as morning, snapped fresh into the bowl. Traditional Cao Lầu noodles found nowhere else on earth but here — chewy, smoky, born of well water. Flavors that tasted like generations of someone’s grandmother loving them into being. We didn’t just eat — we listened, we lingered, we belonged, if only for an afternoon. But it was Xuân herself who turned a tour into something sacred. Her warmth could light a lantern. Her curiosity about us — where we’d come from, what we carried — made strangers feel like old friends finding their way back to each other. By the time we said goodbye, the word felt far too small for what she’d given us. If you let Hội An into your heart, let Xuân hold the door. She is the hidden gem the city keeps for those lucky enough to find her.
The tour was amazing! I had such an amazing time.
We were brought to places where the locals produced their food and could try ourselves how they do it. We were brought on a journey from the start of the production until the end.
Everything was explained to us perfectly by Swan. She was such a sweet and amazing guide. She taught us so much about the culture in Hoi An and knew so many things about different plants.
We walked around the city where she showed us how the offerings were made. She brought us to try every local specialty (we were very full by the end of it). This was truly the best tour I have been on in Vietnam.
Swan was the best! I highly recommend this tour. It is very worth it.
I also want to thank the organizors as we booked late the previous night and they still managed to get everything ready just for us.
